


Stars, Jewels, and Pomegranates

by thirdtimecharmed



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Arranged Marriage, F/F, F/M, Missing Scene, Multi, Polyamory, Pre-Canon, Sort of????
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:53:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27583669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thirdtimecharmed/pseuds/thirdtimecharmed
Summary: How did Hades and Persephone go from seeing each other as means to an end to a genuine mutual love and respect? How strong was Nyx's love for Persephone to lead her to defy the Fates to save Persephone's baby? How did they react when she left? How did they feel when she came back?
Relationships: Hades/Persephone (Hades Video Game), Hades/Persephone/Nyx (Hades Video Game), Nyx/Persephone (Hades Video Game)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 46





	1. Chapter 1

Lord Zeus did ask, but then again Zeus is not a person that one can say ‘no’ to. Did that mean that asking her was a token show of respect, or a way for Zeus to feel his power as the head of the Olympian family?

_ At least he was wise enough to ask me and not Mother,  _ Persephone mused, trying to ignore the alternating currents of excitement and fear that amplified within her with each splash of Charon’s oar. The boatman had groaned an indecipherable greeting to the young goddess when she and Zeus had appeared on the banks of the Styx.

“Ah, hello sir. Charon, I presume?”

He sighed in agreement. 

  
“Thank you for taking the trouble to transport us. I know this is all a bit unusual.” 

Charon’s skeletal face managed to split into a grin, and he gave a slight nod towards Zeus, indicating that the lord of Olympus had made it well worth his while to transport the two of them into the underworld. 

As the river and the boatman ferried them deeper below the earth, Persephone observed. Watched as deep reds and sickly greens- colors she had never seen on Olympus or the mortal realm- played across the walls. Tried to analyze details of the underworld and see what they could tell her about her new life, her new hus- partn- ugh. The thought was still too new and uncomfortable to dig into. Zeus looked uncomfortable too, she realized, cut off from his family and the skies he ruled. He had the same jovial expression she had always seen on him, but it seemed flimsy here in the Underworld. All the blustering and gentle winds in the world couldn’t budge the carved stone of the Underworld. Or, she realized, the stony temperament of the god in charge of it. She lowered her head slightly to hide a sly smile. 

She had met Hades only once before, at a mandatory gathering of Olympians. A feast celebrating reconciliation after some rift or another. All of the wayward gods and goddesses had been roped in by Zeus’ less than subtle commands disguised as suggestions: solitary Artemis with fingers twitching for a bow, hot-footed Hermes who wanted to be in a thousand places all at once, and of course Hades. 

He had gone through the necessary graces stiffly, eyes narrowing only slightly as his brothers teased him for his reclusive nature. Persephone had had to hide a laugh in a sip of ambrosia when he icily told Zeus that “Certainly, brother, it is more important to cavort with you all. I’ll just leave the dead to lie peacefully on their own, hm? The mortals will be fine with the disruption that would cause, I’m sure.” 

Zeus had sputtered out a half-hearted joking defense, and spun on his heel leaving Hades alone. Persephone suspected that that has been his goal all along. She kept an eye on the Lord of the Underworld all evening after that, hopeful for more subversions of the airy meaninglessness of Olympus. None had happened, but she had been caught staring at least once (or twice). 

As they moved towards the heart of the Underworld, the heat became even stronger. That was why her cheeks were flushing, she was sure. 

***

Hades should have been aware of any changes in the Underworld, especially the presence of his brother. And if he wasn’t aware, surely it was someone’s job to have  _ made  _ him aware. He made a mental note to straighten up his security team- missing an intrusion like this was inexcusable. 

“Zeus,” he said evenly, not looking up from the parchment spread across his desk, “to what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Ah, brother!” Zeus exclaimed, and Hades immediately mistrusted the tone of his brother’s voice. This was the exclamation of a Zeus who wasn’t entirely sure his plans were going to work fruitfully, “I have a bit of a gift for you!” 

A gift. Delightful. 

“A gift. Delightful,” said Hades, still not looking up. Zeus cleared his throat, clearly unsettled by his brother’s lack of reaction. 

“Lord Hades, I present to you Persephone, goddess of spring!” he said, stepping slightly to the side to reveal the goddess who had been lurking in his shadow. Hades, finally, looked up. 

All he saw was the top of her head as she bowed it in a curtsey. Flowers from the mortal realm were slowly dropping their petals from the wreath around her head. The hand that wasn’t holding out her skirts was clutching a satchel. Her hair that had shone gold on Olympus was a dull yellow underground. 

All was quiet for a moment as Hades tried to collect himself. He failed. 

“Do you assume, Zeus,” he began, voice lower and colder than before, “That I am incapable of securing a companion for myself? That I need assistance? That I would sink to the levels you and Poseidon have gone to, and use the power given us to take an unwilling bride? Do you think I am that kind of fool?” What had begun as a frigid reproof had risen to a furious bellow, “The kind of fool, brother, that grovels in gratitude when a violation of law occurs in my name?” 

Hades realized he had stood up at some point. The height of his desk and the seat of his power allowed him to loom over even Zeus and cast a shadow of disapproval over him and this goddess that was supposed to- what, placate him? Pah. 

Zeus’ fool grin was still frozen on his face, but Persephone had raised her face somewhere in the course of his tirade. Her eyes were fixed placidly on him, eyebrows raised in half a question. It was startling enough that it jolted Hades out of his rage. 

“If I may, milord,” she said, and her voice was calm and clear, “I was not brought here against my will.” 

As Hades and Persephone stared at each other in a frozen stalemate, both unsure what to do next, Zeus took the opportunity to save face. 

“Precisely, dear brother!” he said jovially, “Why, at our last gathering I noticed the two of you watching each other, and poor Persephone seemed about as dour on Olympus as yourself. It seemed a perfect match to me, only waiting for a push in the right direction. So, what do you say?”

“I say you should keep your meddling fingers out of the affairs of others, and you should cease staining my realm with your presence,” Hades said, red eyes fixed on his brother in a dour glare. “Begone.” 

It was an order, not a request, and to the surprise of everyone, Zeus complied. Hades kept his eyes fixed on Persephone as she contemplated the space recently vacated by the god of thunder and lord of Olympus. 

“Am I also staining your realm, Lord Hades?” she asked him, and Hades was still half sure he was being made the butt of someone’s joke. He huffed out a laugh, then cleared his throat. His composure had been ruffled enough already. 

“You have done me no injury. If you truly wish to stay in the Underworld, you may. To your right you will find Nyx. She can assist you further.” 

He’d figure out what to think about all of this later. 

***

Yelling was not uncommon in the House of Hades. Despite his claims to the contrary, the Lord of the Underworld’s temper was ruffled with some frequency, so when Nyx heard raised voices from the throne room, she was not immediately concerned. 

She was much more startled when she was approached by a stranger to the underworld, asking if she were the goddess Nyx. 

“Pardon me,” Nyx said, “I am afraid I have not made your acquaintance.” 

“Yes, of course, excuse my manners. My name is Persephone, goddess of spring,” said the newcomer, giving a graceful curtsey. Nyx returned the gesture, smiling. 

“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Persephone. You are in need of assistance?”

An unreadable expression flashed across Persephone’s face for a moment, before she sighed firmly and settled into a friendly smile. 

“Yes. Quite a bit of it, I’m afraid. I made a leap of faith, and I don’t think I’ve landed yet.”    
  


Persephone’s eyes flitted back towards the throne room as she spoke, and Nyx’s quick mind began to put the pieces together. Persephone, realizing she hadn’t made a true request yet, continued. 

“I intend to stay here, in the Underworld,” she said, and only aeons of practice kept Nyx’s face steady. “Lord Hades said you would be able to help.” 

“Ah, the yelling in the throne room,” Nyx said, “I assume that was due to you?”

Persephone winced slightly, and Nyx laughed.    
  


“Do not worry. While Lord Hades is the master of this house, I am its architect. You are welcome to stay here for as long as you desire.” She closed her eyes for a moment in concentration, and opened them with a satisfied smile. “I hope your chambers will be to your liking. You will find them through the first door on your left.” 

Persephone nodded several times, curtsied, smiled, curtsied again, and finally left Nyx to her work, giving her thanks abruptly. Nyx watched her as she hurried through the doorway, until the final petal that dropped from her laurels fell to the floor of the House and dissipated. 

A change in the Underworld was rare, but not unwelcome. 


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What is Persephone doing here?

Persephone fought the urge to scream into the first pillow she saw in her new chambers. No longer in sight of any gods or other beings, her carefully placid demeanor fell away and the suppressed anxiety and confusion she felt took over. She propped herself against the closed door of her rooms, trying to take deep, deliberate breaths. 

Nothing had gone as planned. 

Hades hadn’t outright rejected her, but he’d hardly acknowledged her at all. Zeus was perfectly happy to offer her up and immediately flee. She was prepared to be Hades’ bride- she knew the role of the wife of a god. She didn’t know what was expected of an unwanted guest except to leave. 

Slow breaths and solitude managed to calm her down, and as her mind settled, she felt a stirring curiosity about her new surroundings. She stood in a spacious chamber, a plush purple carpet under her feet. A large bed sat in a corner, shielded by gauzy drapes. There were shelves and drawers for storage, a round mirror over a vanity table, and ornamental carvings of flowers crowning the top of the walls. A large double-door opened onto a tiled courtyard and a view of the Underworld. 

Persephone leaned over the courtyard railing, taking in all she could see. Tartarus (and behind it a faint hint of the heat of Asphodel and the glory of Elysium) stretched out to her right, and an endless void to her left. No wind rustled her hair, no sun shone on her skin, and no noises drifted towards her from the denizens of the Underworld. All was still and quiet. She wondered if anything grew here, and then silenced the thought immediately as panic threatened to choke her. 

_ What am I doing here? _

Too big of a question. Simplify. 

_ What do I do? _

Better. Her satchel lay by the doorway, odds and ends threatening to spill out. That was a problem she could solve, and a task to keep her hands busy. Gods and goddesses didn’t need… anything, really, but over millennia you tend to collect odds and ends that hold sentimental value. 

Her clothes hardly put a dent in the empty wardrobe, but her shelves and tables were soon softened by perfume bottles, hasty drawings, pine cones, hair ornaments, and other gifts and gestures that reminded her of sunny days and happy memories. There. Much better. 

Gods didn’t need sleep, either, but sometimes rest was worth it. With nothing new to explore, nothing solid to dig her hands into, and nothing to be gained from picking apart her current situation, Persephone resolved to look at her problems with fresh eyes. 

Her bed was soft and comfortable, and the cool marble of the House of Hades meant that the warmth of the Underworld was soothing rather than oppressive. Persephone drifted off to thoughts of seeds and roots and everything else that flourished underground. 

***

Parchmentwork was not as taxing as it could be, Hades reflected grumpily as he shifted a pile of requests into his out tray, only to have them immediately replaced by a fresh stack. Time consuming, yes. He could feel the slow, rhythmic beats of the heart of the earth tick away as letters blurred in front of his eyes. Parchmentwork took time, but it was his thoughts that he was trying to occupy. 

He was still sure he was the butt of some joke. 

His hands moved mechanically as he tried to put the pieces together. Demeter, her daughter, Zeus… He could certainly rule out Demeter. While she wasn’t the most welcoming presence, neither was he, and they maintained a professional and respectful relationship of never speaking. Zeus was a prankster, but despite his best efforts, Hades knew his brother. He could spot an attempt at a joke on his face from leagues away. As for Persephone…

_ She didn’t seem to be joking. And she’s still here. _

  
Hades’ hand waved in front of his face, a physical attempt to chase the thought away. Anyone with eyes could see the goddess was beautiful, and anyone with a brain (so, no one on Olympus) could see that she thought more than she said. Hades could appreciate both of those traits in a colleague, but he saw nothing in her beyond that. Certainly nothing that would make a woman possessed of all her faculties escape to the underworld- and yet here she was. And here she intended to stay, apparently. 

“Nyx,” he called out tersely, “a word?”

“Certainly,” she replied, appearing soundlessly in front of his desk. Hades cleared his throat.    
  
“Our guest… the goddess… is she comfortably accommodated?” 

“I have created rooms for her use. I trust she is free to remain here for as long as is necessary?” Nyx responded, as if new godly denizens of the House of Hades were a daily occurrence. 

“Oh assuredly. There’s so little to do around here, entertaining a guest will be just the distraction we need,” Hades replied, sarcasm falling around him like a cloak. It was far easier to be irritated than confused or off balance. 

Nyx wasn’t fooled, although she also wasn’t the one he had been trying to fool. 

“If you are concerned about distractions, I can ask that she keep to other parts of the House,” she replied, and despite the calmness of her expression, Hades knew she was jabbing him on purpose. To what end, he couldn’t fathom. 

“That’s not what I meant! Just… make sure she is comfortable. I’m sure Charon will be happy to take her back to Olympus when she’s tired of running away from home.” 

“Of course, Lord Hades,” Nyx answered, and left him alone once more with his thoughts.

Certainly, Persephone would tire of the underworld before long. This was no place for a goddess of spring. 

The thought of her leaving was not as soothing as it should have been. 

***

Nyx had aeons of practice keeping a steady expression. That did not prevent her from experiencing the emotions she chose not to express, however. The presence of a newcomer in the House would have been highly diverting all on its own, even if this newcomer hadn’t caught the eye of Lord Hades. 

Like a sailor could read each shift of the sea, Nyx had grown proficient at divining the thoughts of Lord Hades, try as he might to maintain a stony facade. Even so, she had failed to imagine how he’d behave while in love. The possibility had never occurred to her, and the reality was proving intriguing. 

Only a fool could have missed the way Hades’ eyes followed Persephone, and Lord Zeus (despite all evidence to the contrary) was no fool. Had she had any doubts, they would have been smothered by Hades’ insistence that Persephone’s needs be met. The insistence that he didn’t care at all was the final seal on Nyx’s suspicions. 

As she returned to the center of the House, once again wrapping her awareness around its rooms and corridors, she wondered what Persephone’s goals were, here in the underworld. While Zeus was the catalyst, he was not the only one with an agenda, and Persephone had said that she intended to stay. 

Perhaps she simply wanted peace from the doings of the Olympians-- which she would certainly find. Perhaps she yearned for power, and saw the last unpartnered brother as a useful conquest. Very few Olympians cared for the Underworld, but there was untapped power in the realm of the dead. Perhaps Persephone herself saw something appealing in the Lord of the Underworld. 

Nyx turned the thought over in her head, examining it from every angle. She was startled from her reverie by a change in the House- one she hadn’t instigated. 

All her awareness snapped to the base of the House. While the brick and mortar remained untouched, they had been joined by… growth. New shoots embraced the walls and twisted around turrets, shyly branching out into the void beyond the underworld. 

The goddess of spring, regardless of her purpose in the underworld, was leaving her mark on it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the wait! Work and then Thanksgiving happened. Thank you for all your kind words on my last chapter :)

**Author's Note:**

> It doesn't have to be hades/persephone vs. nyx/persephone. Persephone has two hands.


End file.
